His to Protect // Bellamy Blake

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

I never would have imagined that I would spend my last days locked in the skybox. No, I was a model citizen of the Ark. My father had always told me the rules of the ark were what kept us alive, and I had never questioned them until my 17th birthday. I had spent the entire morning celebrating with my father in what modest ways we could. My father had an important role on the ark as an engineer. He provided me with what he could, as it had been just him and I for as long as I could remember.

My Dad had always described my mother to be a beautiful woman, with long blonde locks and bright blue eyes that would comfort anyone who looked in them for long enough. She was the apple of his eye.There wasn't much I had inherited from my mother, as I had dirty blonde hair that fell a couple inches below my shoulders. My eyes were the deepest of brown, a characteristic I had always looked down on. The one thing we did have in common was our smile. I had only ever seen one picture of her. It was located in a locket my father had given me, taken on the day they got married. It was a moment captured of them staring into each other's eyes. Her smile was one of grace. While it was not a huge grin, the corners of her lips turned up in what could only be described as pure and true bliss. She didn't need to have a wide, beaming smile to prove others of her happiness. It was in the way the corners of her eyes wrinkled and the way her expression softened when she was staring into the eyes of her new husband. My thoughts always wondered to her on my birthday. To make this day special, and because he knew my thoughts were always on her this day, my father managed to sneak some cake into our small cabin.

"It's perfect Dad," I smiled.

"I know it's not much," he paused looking at me. "But I want this day to be perfect. Your mother would be so proud of who you've become sweetheart. There's not a day that goes by when you don't remind me of her."

I rolled my eyes playfully, but it did mean a lot to hear him say it.

He continued on by saying, "The day your mother gave me you was the happiest day of my life. I know you're going to do great things."

"Come on and eat with me before you make us both cry, old man" I responded with. I used the smile he had compared to my mother's countless times before, and pulled him in for a hug.

What I didn't know was that was the last time I would ever have a real conversation with my dad. I jumped up from the table we were both enjoying our cake from when a loud banging noise came from the door. My dad motioned for me to stay while he went to check on who it was. He swung open the door with a panicked look when five armed members of the guard stared back at him. I, thinking my father was innocent of all crimes, assumed they were in search of a wanted criminal. It wasn't too far of a reach, as it did occasionally happen that a criminal would be in hiding. The ark made many things a crime.

"V, why don't you leave the room for a minute," My father told me, without even glancing in my direction.

I didn't move a muscle, waiting to see what was about to unfold.

"Thomas Clair, you are being charged with treason and by the order of Chancellor Jaha you are to be floated by this time tomorrow," one of the guards finally spoke up. I was immediately on my feet, crying out to my father. As I quickly approached, one of the men held his arm out to stop me.

"Dad, what's going on?" I questioned, desperate for him to deny the claims. "DAD," I screamed and struggled against the guard as they took him in handcuffs. He still had not responded but had now looked at me with apologetic eyes.